Cushion-tire for vehicle-wheels.



G. 0. MAULSBY.

CUSHION TIEE EOE VEHICLE WHEELS.

- APPLICATION FILED 0GT.1, 1907.

905,730. Patented Dgo. 1, 1908.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE. i

cushion-'rma nd); wlml No. 905,73o.

spedacaaon of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1,'1908.

Appliances mea october 1, 1907. serial No. saam.

To all whom 'it mag/concern:

Beit known that I, GILBERT O. MAULsBY, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama,have invented a new and useful Cushion-Tire for Vehicle-Wheels, of whichthe following is a specification. This invention relates to cushiontires for carriages, wagons, bicycles, automobiles and similar vehiclesand has for its object to provide ay strong, durable and thoroughlyeficient tire of this character having a yieldable tread surface forcontact with the ground.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tire including a rimadapted to engage the felly of the wheel and having a plurality ofcoiled springs secured thereto with their outer ends suitably united soas to receive and absorb any jar or impact incident to traveling overroughor uneven roads. l A further object is to provide improved meansfor` clamping the tire in position on the felly of the wheel, andmeansfor securing the yieldable members or springs in position on therim.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve thisclass of devices so as to increase their utility, durability andefficiency. 'I

Further-objects and advantages will apfear in the following description,.it being understood that various changes 1n form,

proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to Withinthe scope of the ap ended claims. Y

In t e accompanying drawings forming a part of this spec1ication: Figre1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a wheel provided witha cushion tlre constructed in accordance with m invention. Fig-2 is atransverse sectionalyview of the same'. Fig. 3 is a top plan'view of oneof the yieldab e members or springs detached. Fi 4 is a similar'view ofthe adjacent ends o the tire rim showing the manner vof uniting thesame. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view-of a portionof the rim showing the loos for thereception of the adjacent ends of t e coiled springs. Fig.

`6 is a transverse sectional view taken-on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts inail of thefigures of the' drawings. v

The improved cushion tire forming the -sub- 'ect matter ofthe presentinvention may e used inl connection with carriages, bicycles,automobiles and similar vehicle wheels and by Way of illustration isshown in connection with a vehicle wheel of the ordina eonstruction inwhich 5 designates the fe y and 6 the spokes.

. Thev tire consists .of 'a metallic rim or band l 7 preferably of thesame width as the felly of the Awheel and having its adjacent endsinclined or beveled, at 8. f l l Secured to one end of the -rim or band7 are metal strips 9, the free ends of which are spaced apart and bentupon themselves to form transversely alined loo 10, there being a.similar strip 11 secure to the opposite endl of the rim and bent to forma correspondin ly shaped loop12.

he loops 10 are desi ned to receive a wedge shaped key 13 so t at byforcingthe wedge to lts seat in the loops the adjacent ends of the rimmay be drawn together therepyl to firmly clamp the rim in position onthe e y. Secured to the rim or band 7 are a plurality of yieldablemembers each preferably formed of a single piece of wire bent to form aseries of. spring coils 14 and ldisposed one within the other and havingtheir lower ends provided with terminal attachingingers 16.

The upper convolutions of the outer coils 14 are preferably bent intorectangular shape, at 17, whlle vthe Wire forming said outer coils isextended downwardly at the center of the square heads 17 to produceinner convolutions or coils 1 5.

The rectangular terminals or heads 17 of the outer convolutions may besoldered or otherwise rigidly secured together so as to form acontinuous bearing surface or if desired said heads may be connected-bysuitable links so as to permit any particular portion of the treadsurface of the tire to yield when striking a rock or other obstruction.-

As a means for retaining the yieldable members or coils in position onthe rim' orband 7 the latterv is formed with aplurality of spacedlongitudinal slits 18, the metal at said s its'being pressed upwardly toformloops or eyes .18 adapted to receive the lower convolutions orattaching fingers 16 of the coils '14 and 15, asI best shown 1n Figs. 2and6 of the drawings.

serve to reinforce and strengthen the rim but also serve to assist inreventing accidental.Y

displacement of the co edl springs.

The felly 5 is refer-ably cut away at 19 form a seat for t e adjacentends of the wheel rim or band 7 so that the u per surface pf said bandwill lie flush with the outer-.face of the felly.

From the foregoing descri tion it will be seen that there is provide anextremely simple, inexpensive and eflicient device ad.- mirably adaptedfor the attainment of the ends in view. l

Havin `thus described the invention what isclaime is:

1. A tire'forvehicle wheelsincludng a rim adapted to engage the felly ofa wheel, yieldable members secured to the rim and each formed of alurality of integral spring coils of substantialy the same height andarranged one Within the other, the outer coil of each yieldable memberbe' bent to vproduce a substantially rectanglar head forming a yieldabletread surface, and means for clamping the rim in position on the felly.

2. A tire for vehicle wheels including a rim adapted to engage the fellyof'a wheel,

scanso Veach formed of'a single lengthof wire bent Y 'upon itself toproduce` a pair of spring coils arrangedfone Within the other, the outercoils ofeach yieldable member being substantially rectangular in sha eand umtedto the rectangular ortion of t e outer coil of an adacent yielable member..l

single piece of wire bent to produce a verlution of which is sustantiallyrectangular in shape, the wire at the rectangular convolutionbeing bent upon itself and extended of substantially the same heightasthe outer coil, said coils being. each 'provided -witha in the presenceof two Witnesses. p.

GILBERT o. MAUL'sBv.

Witnesses:

H; T.VBRAc1mN,

C. S. CHENAULT.

yieldable members secured to the rim andv tically disposed sprin coilthe upper convo-A ymy own, Ihavve hereto ai-Hxed my signature spring forcushion tires formedof a downwardly Within the outer coil and 'spacedfrom the walls thereof to forman inner coil Y

